An Interactive Media Studies Student
The gym is for all of us and no one should
feel they don't
belong or aren't good enough.
- Garnet Henderson
Gender in the Fitness World
A project by Meredith Niemann
Overview & Research
For my project, I have chosen to create a marketing proposal for the Miami University Recreational Center. My project statement is as follows:
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"The purpose of this project is to identify why the gym atmosphere is inherently gendered when it comes to working-out, specifially weight training. This includes looking at workout equipment as well as the gym itself. Doing this will bring awareness and hopefully create change in how the gym atmosphere can be a place of toxicity and judgement for different genders. This will eliminate the engrained gender roles within the gym system and create an inclusive environment for everyone to be able to work out the way they want to without fear."
Research methods include:
Interviews Surveys Academic Studies and Personal Experience.
I propose to
Miami University...
The intention of my project is to provide a narrative to the gendered environment within gyms and hopefully spark some new ideas into how this can be changed. I feel as though it is something not widely talked about or recognized, and when a woman says “I don’t feel comfortable going to the gym and lifting weights” or “I don’t need to exercise I don’t want to bulk up” it’s accepted due to lack of knowledge. This knowledge is not only basic knowledge of exercise, but of knowledge that it is something that isn’t normal. Growing up, there was always the “girl” and “boy” sports because some things were known as too aggressive or too much muscle needed that girls shouldn’t do. My project is meant to bring awareness and knowledge that exercise is for all people, not based on gender, in hopes to eliminate judgement or exclusion with gym related things.
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With this, I have created a proposal to the Miami University Recreational Center to implement two services; a free, informational strength training class offered at the start of each semester, and additional weight-training classes to their Group Fit classes.
Sources
Coen, Stephanie E., et al. “‘It's Gym, like g-y-m Not J-i-m’: Exploring the Role of Place in the Gendering of Physical Activity.” Social Science & Medicine, Pergamon, 2 Nov. 2017, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617306536?via%3Dihub.
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Henderson, Garnet, et al. “Is a Gender Gap at the Gym Keeping Women From Working Out?” Glamour, www.glamour.com/story/a-gender-gap-at-the-gym-is-keeping-women-from-working-out.
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“Huge Online Supplement Store & Fitness Community!” Bodybuilding.com, www.bodybuilding.com/.
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Pike, Rita. Her Agenda || Bridging The Gap Between Ambition and Achievement for Millennial Women, heragenda.com/study-shows-benefits-of-strength-training-are-overlooked-by-most-women.